4 white lion cubs born at German circus

Four white lion cubs with their mother 'Princess' at the Circus Krone in Magdeburg, eastern Germany Thursday.

BERLIN — A circus in Germany is celebrating the birth of four rare white lion cubs.

A spokeswoman for Circus Krone says the three males and their sister were born Wednesday in the eastern city of Magdeburg and are doing well.

Susanne Matzenau said today that their father, King Tonga, now has 16 children from two mothers.

Matzenau says the cubs will stay with their mother for three months before starting circus training.

The circus is considering names, with ‘Otto’ among the most popular.

White lions have a genetic mutation that gives them very light fur, but they are not albinos. They were extinct in the wild for 12 years, but were reintroduced in South Africa in 2004, according to the Global White Lion Protection Trust. Still, most are held in captivity.